


Human Exposure

by Kasen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Halloween Costumes, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-18 18:45:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16522586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasen/pseuds/Kasen
Summary: Krolia finds herself agreeing to something very risky as an alien hidden on the planet Earth.





	Human Exposure

**Author's Note:**

> I just... I love these two so much.

Krolia scrunched her nose at her reflection. She was standing in her partner’s bedroom, the full body mirror barely reaching her shoulders when she stood close. She had leaned towards it to look at the cat ears her partner had jokingly placed on her head after rummaging through his belongings for Halloween decorations and potential costumes. 

“Is this it? Ears?” 

“Nah,” James replied, his voice muffled as he continued scouring his closet. “You gotta paint your nose black and draw some whiskers on your cheeks to complete the look.” 

“This is barely a costume,” Krolia sighed. Her real ears were far more animalistic than the black plastic ones on her head.   

“I understand why you would think that after doing your own research,” he disclosed. James removed himself from the closet with a medium sized cardboard box in his hands. “But the way children here celebrate the holiday is a little different from the way us adults celebrate it.” 

“How do adults celebrate it?” Krolia sighed. She joined her lover sitting down on the carpeted floor and peered into the box curiously. There seemed to be decorations riddled within the box. She watched James take out orange and black streamers and strange cut-outs of what she assumed were Earth animals. 

“These are bats,” he explained while holding up the decorations, reading her thoughts.  

“The ones we saw in the cave with Blue? Those look nothing like it.” 

“Realistic isn’t what one usual goes for when making decorations,” James chuckled. He placed the black cut-outs on Krolia’s thigh and continued rummaging through the box. “Hmm,” he mentioned after a moment. “I don’t have any other costumes in here.” 

“These ears aren’t a costume,” Krolia emphasized. 

“But they’re so darn cute,” James smiled while pinching Krolia’s cheeks. He leaned forward and pecked her lips gently before sitting back on his heels and smiling lovingly at her. Krolia’s heart flipped at the sight. James was incredibly handsome when he smiled. Straight white teeth behind thick lips curled upwards attractively, the sight enticing Krolia to lean forward so they can kiss once again. 

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “I want to take you out and show you off.” 

Krolia sat back down and smiled gently at the claim. The reason why James was rummaging through his belongings was because his buddies from the Fire Station he worked at were in the midst of planning their annual Halloween get-together. Despite it being early September, James jumped at the chance to invite Krolia and give her time to mull it over. 

“They’ll question me, James. They’ll ask how we met and scrutinize me carefully. It could jeopardize everything we worked to hide.” 

James shuffled closer to Krolia until he was sitting beside her, legs now touching. He wrapped an arm behind her and pulled her close. Krolia automatically rested her head against his shoulder.  

“I want to meet your friends,” she added softly. She wanted to explore the town with James and interact with the same humans he did. She wanted to see the planet without needing to stay hidden. She wanted to be with her partner openly, and Krolia could tell that James was craving the same thing. He had convinced her to go out with him a few times in the middle of the night. They snuck around the town hand-in-hand, steering clear of people and streetlights, but exploring the streets nonetheless. It was exhilarating and foolish, and despite Krolia constantly reprimanding herself for being so imprudent and going against everything she trained and stood for as a key member of the Blade of Marmora, she couldn’t help but get sucked into James’ enthusiasm. Every nook and cranny held some memory or significance to him, and Krolia wanted to absorb everything there was to know about her partner. She loved him dearly. 

“I want you to meet them too, darlin’,” he murmured while kissing her temple. “We can make this work. This stupid holiday is actually a blessing in disguise for us.” 

Krolia didn’t need any more convincing. Again, she found herself being pulled into James’ pace. She would throw caution to the wind and follow him. 

“What’s the plan?” Krolia asked, silently acknowledging how dangerous being in love can be. James kissed her temple again, soft eyes twinkling with excitement.  

“You can hide in plain sight. Your costume can be “Sexy Alien” and no one would question it.” 

_“Sexy_ Alien? I can’t just be an alien?” 

“Absolutely not. I wanna make the fellas regret ever thinking I would settle for anything less than a goddess.” 

Krolia shoved him aside playfully, embarrassed at the compliment. 

“And what will you be dressed as?” 

James shrugged and made an _I_ _dunno_ sound as he considered his options. “Cowboy?” 

Krolia smirked at the subtle callout. She only knew what a cowboy was because her online exploration of Earth deserts led her (somehow) astray. When informative documentaries ended and the video recommendations became outlandish Western movies, Krolia found herself hooked. Despite James reminding her that those Western “reboot” films she had grown addicted to were works of fiction; that nobody in their right mind walked with leather boots sporting sharp spurs, baggy chaps, a 1980s styled revolver and an animosity towards rules and regulations, Krolia still found herself intrigued with the foreign world presented on the tiny screen of James’ television.  

“Will you be a _sexy_ cowboy?” she asked. 

James chuckled and scratched the back of his head. 

“I’m startin’ ta think you only like me for my accent,” he joked; making sure to emphasize his drawl to prove his point. Krolia nodded, though both knew she was simply playing along.  

“I wouldn’t mind seeing the man I love dressed as the other man I love.” 

“Leave Blondie out of this.” 

Krolia laughed and playfully kissed James’ before moving to stand in front of the mirror again. 

“What would a sexy alien look like?” She asked instead. 

“Take off your shirt darlin’.” 

Krolia did as instructed without a moment’s hesitation, her full breasts now out and in the open. Krolia adjusted her cat ears while feigning ignorance to James’ intense stare, and despite heat of anticipation crawling along her skin, her body was reacting to the coolness of the night creeping into their open bedroom window. Soon the sun would be completely hidden behind the horizon.  

“Is this all?” she asked, feeling her nipples stand pert in exposure to the crisp air ventilating through their humble desert home. James was standing, eyes dark and expression darker. He looked hungry. 

“Pants, hun.” 

Krolia obliged. Despite refusing to wear human undergarments, as they were impractical and uncomfortable, Krolia would sometimes tolerate underwear for the sake of hygiene. Why humans had yet to invent clothes that absorbed and filtered basic bodily fluids such as sweat was beyond her. Luckily, she had found an incentive to wear the thong she was sporting now. 

It turned James on. 

The moment Krolia pulled her pants down to her thighs, James was on her. However, rather than dragging her to his bed, James placed his large, calloused hands on Krolia’s bare hips and guided her to the mirror. Krolia had no choice but to look at her exposed body. Round, heavy breasts came together, creating a cleft on her chest that guided the eyes from the collar down to the petite waist. Her thong did nothing for modesty; and James seemed to think it was still covering too much. With one hand flat on Krolia’s stomach, a second went to the front of the thong. He grasped the diminutive black fabric and yanked it gently, causing it to fold into the lips of her pussy. 

Krolia jumped at the stimulation rubbing against her clitoris. She placed one hand over the one holding her stomach, and the other grasped the wrist invading her genitalia. James was not one to waste time when it came to pleasuring Krolia. The moment they overcame their uncertainty around each other, the sex to follow was relentless.  

Krolia gasped as James’ fingers invaded the same space her thong did. He guided his index and middle finger under the fabric, rubbing slow circles around the protruding node in a way that made Krolia twitch and moan against him. 

“Try to keep your eyes open,” James whispered against the shell of her ear. Krolia tilted her head back, resting it on the other’s shoulder as she did as he requested. Krolia felt strange watching herself get fingered. She could see how every rub from her lover made her twitch. Beyond that, she witnessed how every jolt and shudder made her breasts bounce, her mouth part, her brows furrow in pleasure.  

“You look beautiful,” James murmured as he dragged his tongue along the helix of her ear. His fingers left her clit to venture further down, and both digits were immediately covered in her natural slickness. 

_“Fuck,”_ James hissed. His fingers made a promiscuous sound as he rubbed his fingers over her vagina hole, teasing the entrance. “You’re so wet, love.” 

Krolia bit her lips in an attempt to hold back her moan.  

She failed. 

Although she couldn’t see her discharge coating her lover’s fingers, Krolia was able to watch his expression break as his hand moved in a small, even rhythm between her legs. His eyebrows creased in bliss, and he moaned against her neck when his digits made a particularly slick sound while slipping easily through her entrance. He released his hand from her stomach, and his other hand slid out of her shuddering womanhood a moment after. James brought his tainted fingers to Krolia’s mouth, and she parted her lips without a moment’s hesitation. 

Krolia twirled her tongue around the calloused digits, her taste strange but something she was slowly growing accustomed to the more she and James did this. Krolia moaned around the fingers, and James removed them slowly. Using the same slick digits, he brought his fingers down to rub a circle around her areola, stimulating her nipple. He pinched and pressed into her nipple until Krolia was arching her back in pleasure. He cupped her breast shortly after, and Krolia observed her chest under his grasp. Krolia was by no means small, but her bosom was almost wholly covered by James’ large hand.  

“Okay,” James sighed as both hands began kneading her breasts. “I think it’s time we take this to the bed before I explode.” 

Krolia grinned at him through the mirror. She secretly felt the same. Her pants had not fallen any lower than her mid-thighs, and the constraint in her movement was starting to drive her insane.  

“Let’s not waste another second,” she suggested.  

“Yes ma’am,” James grinned against her cheek. He planted a loving kiss against the burning flesh and pulled away from Krolia to stride to the opposite end of the bedroom, stripping off his shirt as he walked in front of the window. “Do you mind if we keep the curtains open?” he asked. They usually didn’t. Both were paranoid for the right reasons, but some days, on breezy sunsets similar to this one, they lowered their guards and allowed each other a moment of youthful recklessness.  

James had asked Krolia the question while stepping out of his pants, back turned to the bed as he caught the view from the window. The sky was set ablaze. Rolling clouds were lined pink as the sun sat contently on the horizon of the dessert; large and orange and blinding to anyone dumb enough to stare straight at it. 

“Why not? Keep it open.” 

James obliged. He pulled back the curtains even further, turned around to smile at Krolia, and found himself rooted to the spot at the sight before him. Krolia sat at the edge of the bed, pants discarded and fake ears continuing to sit perked at the top of her head. The rays of sun initially filtered through their curtains shone brightly into their bedroom, the light casting a beautiful pink tint along her lavender skin. Krolia’s body looked radiant in the sunlight —she looked absolutely ethereal. Every muscle; every curve was accented by the shadows that rolled along the unblemished skin, warm tones highlighting dips and bends that James had traced with his tongue more times than he could count. 

 

 

 

James walked over to the bed, crawled onto the mattress, and hugged Krolia from behind. 

“I love you,” he murmured between gentle kisses along her shoulder. “You beautiful, beautiful, _beautiful_ woman. What did I do to deserve you?” 

Krolia twisted around so they could connect their lips. “You’ve done plenty.” 

James allowed his lips to trail her jaw down to the crook of her neck. He worked his way back, tracing her stripe until his lips were pressed firmly in the space between her shoulder blades. Krolia moved easily against him. She sighed and tilted her head in ways that gave James easier purchase to her body. He gently pulled her further back onto the mattress and lay her down, ensuring that her head was cushioned on the pillow before leaning down to kiss her. 

James loved her. He loved the small moans that barely escaped her lips; each mewl raspy and raw as though terrified someone would hear her at her most vulnerable. She was a military woman and a spy for a revolutionary group. She was a warrior and a hero. After years and years of being dedicated to her craft, it was this tiny pocket of stress-free loving that did her in.  

James pulled away to catch his breath, and Krolia’s own panting tickled his hovering lips. He removed his boxer briefs while peppering her cheek with affectionate kisses, mind whirling when he caught Krolia looking up at him expectantly. The moment he freed his member, Krolia was canting her hips upwards, silently demanding the contact their bodies craved. James lowered himself to lie completely on Krolia, his erection pressed taught against her lower stomach. Both exhaled at the contact, and James proceeded to roll his hips, creating friction between them. 

“Please James,” Krolia whispered, already breathless. James pretended he couldn’t hear her as he continued his rhythmic motion, the movement barely stimulating her clit. He licked a stripe along her neck, enjoying her familiar taste. Krolia’s sweat was a little different from humans. Her skin was salty with a touch of saccharine, the likes of which provoked drool to form at the back of his mouth. Caught in the heat of their bodies, James mumbled his affections against Krolia’s neck, his whispered _I love_ _you_ ’s bubbling out of his swollen lips like a mantra. 

Krolia loved him too. She traced his muscular back with the pads of her fingers, careful to avoid scratching him with her nails. James was broad and his tanned skin was hot to the touch. Her palms glided over the skin with ease, the beginnings of perspiration already forming between his shoulder blades and along the small of his back. She let her hands drop at his waist to tug at her thong. She wanted to pull it down; to get rid of the last article of clothing in their way, but James had other ideas as he snatched her wrists and pulled them over her head. 

“James,” Krolia breathed, her tone a mix of arousal and impatience. She squirmed beneath him as he kept her arms pinned above her head, lips moving down to suck on her breast. Krolia arched her back as his hot mouth encompassed her nipple. James rolled his tongue over the sensitive node and sucked gently. The sensation went straight to Krolia’s stomach. She felt heat pool between her legs, slick and unrelenting. Krolia tried to use force. She stained her arm’s muscles, attempting to pull free from the other’s hold, but James fought back. His biceps bulged in tension as he held Krolia’s wrists down, but his smile was as calming as his soothing tone when he spoke. 

“What’s wrong darlin’?” He asked while repositioning himself. Rather than lying completely on top of her, the friction of their colliding bodies pleasuring him, James lifted himself off Krolia and tucked his member between her legs, forcing her to part her limbs for him. James stuttered for a moment, a sharp intake of breath ruining the coy comment he had seated at the tip of his tongue _“Fuck_ you’re wet,” he hissed instead. His dick was instantly slick after guiding it between her vagina lips in only a few strokes. James knew Krolia was trying to escape his grasp to rid herself of her underwear. She would tear it off her body and flip James onto his back, sheath his member between her slick walls of muscle, and ride him until both were twitching with pleasure. 

But James was a simple man with simple needs. And that evening’s need was to fuck his partner through her thong.  

James crossed Krolia’s wrists together and held it with one hand. 

“Behave,” he demanded while dragging a hand down to her breast and giving it a quick squeeze, because how could he not? before continuing his descent to her hip. James tucked his fingers beneath the spaghetti strap holding her indecent article of clothing up, and dragged his digits towards the middle. Krolia shuddered beneath him, surprisingly compliant despite being given the opportunity to escape James’ grasp and have her way with him. Using her momentary docility to his advantage, James tugged the fabric of her thong tucked between her lips aside. His dick automatically twitched at the slick sound the motion elicited.  

“Good girl,” he whispered, more to Krolia’s wet pussy than to her face. “Already prepared for me.” 

“My body knows what it wants,” Krolia breathed. She wrapped her legs around James, and drove a heavy heel into his back. “Which you do not, apparently.” 

James flashed Krolia a wicked grin at the accusation. “I’m just savouring what I have.” 

“Savour after the first round,” Krolia ordered.  

James didn’t need to be told twice. He huffed at her demand while grabbing his length. He pumped it twice, just to give Krolia a show, reminding her of his girth, and lined the head of his cock over her entrance. His intention was to push into her slowly. He was going to be gentle and give her a moment to adjust, but Krolia’s hips had other ideas as it snapped upward, taking in almost half his length in a single motion. Both groaned at the sudden pleasure. James pressed forward, the tightness and heat almost unbearable.  

“James,” Krolia whispered. Her voice was high-pitched and broken. It wasn’t a voice he heard anywhere else besides in their bed. It meant that the last of her walls were coming down.  

James was putty at her feet in instances like this. “Tell me what you want, kitten.” 

Krolia moaned. “You,” she sputtered. He kissed her sweaty temple and began fucking her intensely, tossing away his initial plans to have her come undone beneath him slowly. He picked up his pace for Krolia. Fevered thrusts created lewd noises between the two. The slickness of Krolia’s natural discharge was amplified in the silence of their room. Their breathing became heavier and their ability to speak was consumed by pleasant moans. 

Krolia lost herself to the sensation. She barely noticed James dragging her wrists back down to rest onto her stomach. He sat up on his knees and held her hands tightly, large, sweaty palms holding her arms down in a way that made her forearms cross over each other.  

“What a pretty kitty,” he breathed. Krolia glanced up to see James’ gaze steady on her breasts. He looked starved as he expertly snapped his pelvis back and forth, hitting Krolia’s sweet spot over and over until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Krolia tossed her head back, loud moans morphing into pleasured screams as James hit her harder and harder upon her request.  

It didn’t take much longer for both to come undone. Krolia was the first to go, if only by a fraction of a second. She yelled out his name as her orgasm came crashing down on her body. She twitched and convulsed with each pulse of pleasure, her muscles tensing in waves around her lover’s member, drawing out a broken groan from him as he too rode out his orgasm. Krolia continued twitching long after James had finished filling her with his seed. It was one of her longer orgasms, and James was amenable in making sure she was satisfied until the end, his softening cock continuing to press against her walls and fingers finding her clitoris, rubbing it until she was numb and spent. 

When he pulled out, Krolia whimpered. The empty feeling to follow was uncomfortable to say the least. She wished he was tired like the night before; passing out after a lazy fuck and remaining in her well into the morning —his large figure pinning her body beneath him, warm and comfortable and radiating with love and affection. 

“You’re too good to me,” James whispered as he cupped the back of Krolia’s thighs and lifted them up to observe the mixture of his spunk and her discharge seeping out of her. He guided her legs onto his shoulders so his face was only inches away from her throbbing cunt. Using his tongue, James licked the semen dripping down her taint and dragged the viscous liquid back into her vagina. Krolia gasped and shuddered as he began eating her out. His tongue was a pleasant substitute for his cock, and Krolia found herself mewling, over-sensitized and drained. Her loins were stirring with anticipation, and Krolia gasped at the very sudden, _very_ intense —albeit short-lived burst of convulsions occurring between her legs. Did she climax again? She wasn’t sure, but she tugged James’ hair until he pulled up for air, pupils blown and lips glowing as he looked down at her. 

“Too much?” 

“No,” Krolia breathed. But she did need a break. James seemed to understand. He lowered her slowly, and after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, crawled on top of Krolia, lying on her so they could kiss lazily. 

“Can’t believe you kept your ears on during all that.” 

“Oh,” Krolia croaked. She lifted her hands to touch the velvet ears resting on the black plastic headband. “That explains the cat nicknames.” 

“What? You don’t like kitten?” 

“I like whatever you like,” Krolia confessed. Her answer earned her a hard kiss on the chin.  

The two proceeded to lie together, awake and basking in the glow of their love making while the sun dipped below the horizon of the desert, creating a black canvas in the sky peppered with white glittering stars. And somehow, during the time spent together that night, James successfully convinced Krolia to agree to attending the annual Halloween party. 

*** 

Krolia rubbed her palms against the pants of her jumpsuit. It was funny, really. She had hundreds of years of combat under her belt; stressful military operations were engraved into her very soul. Krolia could sneak into a hidden enemy base using nothing more than a stolen cargo craft, complete her mission —whatever it might be; kill, kidnap, sabotage, destroy— and get out without being detected. She could confidentially take down a squadron of Galran scouts with only her blade and her fists, and yet entering a human bar was next to terrifying for her. 

“You’ll be fine, hun.” 

“This is a mistake. It’s not too late for me to turn back,” Krolia hissed. She had felt relatively safe behind her lover as he drove them through the town midday on his hover bike. Her helmet obscured her lavender tinted skin and inhuman ears. Her exposed cleavage was pressed into James’ back, the skin colour hidden, and her hands could easily be mistaken for gloves at the speed they were going. 

But as James pulled up to one of the town’s few well-known local bars, Krolia felt her stomach churn uncomfortably so. It had been a while since she felt this nervous. As she stepped off the hover bike, and was prompted to take her helmet off in broad daylight, Krolia’s instincts immediately told her to hide. Warning bells were ringing in the back of her head, the sound only muffled by the reassuring hand pressed firmly on the small of her back. 

“You’re fine,” James reassured her. “It’ll be dim inside. And everyone will be in costume as well.” 

“I don’t...” Krolia’s voice cracked and her sentence trailed off as James gently pushed her forward. A million thoughts ran through her head. What if no one else was dressed as elaborately as James promised they would be? What if everyone gave her odd looks and began questioning her origins. She only knew so much about earth to play off as a fellow inhabitant. Where was she born? What school did she go to and where did she currently work? These were all questions her and James barely touched. Krolia only had basic answers; if anyone prodded for more, they’d be met with a blank stare or a panicked punch in the face. 

No. 

She wouldn’t resort to violence if detected like she did in her few infiltration missions gone awry in the past. She trusted James. He wouldn’t put her in danger. 

As if reading her thoughts, James planted a hard kiss against her temple.  

“I’m pretty sure the lot of them are already drunk,” he said with a wicked grin.  

Krolia shook her head in wonder. She had consumed alcohol with James in the past, but that was in the safety of their home; where no one could see their barriers come down and the ridiculousness and vulnerability brandished unapologetically. Their filters went through the window when drunk. They were silly and all over each other —and though it was fun to do every once in a while, the thought of them drinking now was next to terrifying.  

“I’ll introduce you to a few friends,” James whispered as he opened the bar door. “You don’t have to mingle, and I’ll be by your side the entire time.” 

Krolia nodded, feeling ridiculously exposed in her black, skin-tight leather suit that hugged her long limbs and squeezed her chest in a way that made her breasts pool over the seams of the open zipper. One bad move and they would spill out, and though she did not care for the modesty humans expressed over such useless lumps of fat, Krolia recognized that hers were for James’ eyes only. Besides the tight jumpsuit, Krolia did nothing else to alter her appearance. Her skin stayed as is, pink and purple hair gravity-defying, ears pointed, canines sharps, and yellow-tinted scelra glowing in the dark, making her eyes appear alien; just as it should. 

“Hey! Look who decided to show up!” said a distance voice. 

“Oh god! And what are _you_ supposed to be Jamie?” a second added. 

“You know what I am!” James hollered back, feigning offense.  

Krolia eyed her lover tensely, but with a touch of fondness and amusement. James, sticking true to his word, dressed as a sexy cowboy, which Krolia learned was not what she expected at all. She was hoping to see a copy of the Man with No Name from one of her favourite western reboots. Instead, James wore a brown leather vest and nothing underneath it. The vest was opened, revealing those muscular abdomens and pectorals she loved to trail her sharp nails over in the heat of the night, when the two had come down from their high of love-making and settled comfortably into each other’s arms, peacefully awaiting slumber. His biceps and toned forearms were exposed as well, and again, Krolia’s thoughts went to the countless times she held, squeezed, scratched or bit the protruding muscles.  

Below the vest were spilt chaps that rested loosely over his jeans. The chaps were made from tanned cowhide dyed in the same pigment of brown as his vest. Fringes edged the leggings, the purpose of the style lost to humans several years ago. It was a ridiculous look, but Krolia could appreciate the hard muscles where they were apparent nonetheless. He had a lasso circled and tied to his hip, spurred leather boots, and a piece of hay that sat at the corner of his mouth, completing the ensemble. Krolia’s blade rested at the back of his belt, hidden out of sight by the vest. 

“Nothin’ sexy ‘bout you!” his friend yelled back.  

“That idiot’s my friend,” James said as he turned to Krolia, who had nervously ducked behind his broad back and away from the group’s line of sight. “Can you believe it?” 

“Is that your Robert or Kevin?” 

“Kevin, funny enough.” 

“I thought he’d be the quieter of the two.” 

“He is,” James grumbled. 

“Who you got there, huh?” Robert screamed. _Ah._ He was the louder one. Krolia peaked over nervously. Despite her inner anxiousness, she kept her posture straight and eyes daring; exuding confidence she didn’t truly feel at the moment.  

“This is Lia,” James mentioned. “She’s my date tonight.” 

The crowd went silent, and Krolia went stiff. An awkward five seconds passed as the couple and group of firefighters stared at each other; James’ colleagues sporting wide eyes and parted mouths. 

“C’mon,” James said as he intertwined his fingers with Krolia’s and guided her along the rickety wooden tiles of the old bar. Despite the dim lights indoors, several eyes were on Krolia.  

“There’s still time for me to leave,” she whispered, eying the costumes around her. From what James had explained to her, their department always rented the bar in the afternoon for festivities. Family members, close friends, and significant others were always invited to join, making it one of the biggest annual get togethers of the year. Of course, not all could come. And in the case of an emergency, many at the bar would need to drop everything and get back to work, but according to James, that situation had only happened once. The only catch with joining the notorious annual party was that you had to wear a costume. And sure, some half-assed it for the sake of getting through the day without being scolded by the head of their department, but there were always some who went all out. 

“Everyone, this is Lia,” James introduced. He stepped aside so that Krolia was in full view. “She’s the alien to my cowboy.” 

_“Wow,”_ came several voices in unison, the group finally breaking their silence.  

_“Wow,_ James,” a co-worker repeated as they approached the two. They eyed Krolia and side-stepped her to whisper to James, and Krolia’s nervousness was instantly extinguished —like a foot stamping on a match— to instead be replaced by something else. 

Something more possessive. 

It had happened once before. When James showed her pictures of himself and his team; whenever an arm was slung around his waist or a hand rested comfortably on his broad shoulder, Krolia felt a pang of jealousy. Her rational side reminded her that James would have human companions. He would share his charming smile and interesting stories with several individuals. Besides his co-workers, he had friends and even distant family scattered across the planet. He was not exclusively hers. But the less logical side of her, the emotional side she had taught herself to keep buried deep inside long ago, softly reminded her that he was all she had. And so, she wanted all of it. 

Gritting her teeth, Krolia stopped herself from taking a step forward and intimidating the individual. Instead, she listened closely. 

“We thought you made her up but... you weren’t joking, man. She’s out of this world.” 

James’ frown at the back-handed compliment immediate turned into a bright smile at the sight of Krolia’s immediate flush. 

“Lia, I know it’s a lot, but let me introduce you to everyone.” 

Krolia nodded bashfully, ashamed of her earlier thoughts. James spoke to his colleagues about _her._  

“Alright,” he grinned. “The clown is Robert. He’s dressed as a rugby player, as you can see.” 

“Fuck off,” Robert snapped at his friend, shoving him aside to approach Krolia. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

Krolia nodded, and when Robert outstretched his hand, Krolia hesitantly grabbed the fingers the way James had taught her to do so. The handshake was firm. Robert’s fingers were as rough and calloused as James’.  

“This is Kevin, he’s also dressed as a clown.” 

“I’m not sure what you see in him,” Kevin mentioned as he shoved Robert aside to shake Krolia’s hand, obviously dressed as the Earth fruit, banana. “All he does is make the same jokes and then laugh at them himself.” 

“I see a lot in him,” Krolia answered honestly. “Namely this,” she added as she gracefully released her fingers from the other’s grasp to pat James’ exposed chest. It was meant to be a lighthearted joke, but the whoops and hollering and whistles she elicited was rather astonishing. 

The crowd collectively laughed and pushed James aside to introduce themselves to her with excited chatter. Krolia found herself being guided through the bar, shaking hands and repeating her name so many times that she almost convinced herself that her parents had truly named her Lia.

Krolia learned an incredible amount in the short period of time she spent with her lovers’ colleagues. Everyone had an embarrassing or charming story about James they wanted to share. Everyone wanted to compliment her for enduring his horrible jokes while lightly thanking her for riding him of his loneliness. It took over an hour of introductions; learning names, coworkers’ positions in the department, family members and significant others; costumes both simple and confusing... before Krolia and James were reunited —primarily with James grabbing her by the waist and swatting his friends away like pesky flies, saying _“Alright, alright. She’s had enough of_ _ya_ _freaks,”_ while guiding her to the bar. 

“Your friends really care about you,” Krolia mentioned, remembering Robert and Kevin taking a moment to thank her for coming into James’ life. They quietly explained how their friend’s mood shifted incredibly so when he admitted he met someone. He was always in high spirits after meeting her. His isolating personality when leaving work was replaced with excitement. He finally had someone to go home to. 

James shot her a bashful look, and presented a curt nod in response. 

“Let’s grab a drink,” James suggested. Krolia agreed and followed him to the empty side of the bar table. 

“Two Whiskey Sours please,” he asked as he sat on a stool at the head of the bar, gesturing for Krolia to join him. The bar tender obliged with a quick nod. She took out two glasses with ice, pulled out what seemed to be two hoses from behind the counter, and sprayed clear liquid from both into one glass, followed by the other. She took purchase of two pre-cut orange slices and guided the cut fruit onto the corner of the glass, and topped both off with a cherry. 

“Whiskey already?” Krolia asked as she licked her lips. The drink looked good. James was never one to care about presentation back home, but the basic ingredients were there. She enjoyed the sting of whiskey mixed with something citrusy. The two learned early on in their relationship that Krolia had a tolerance for sour things, and that she had quickly taken a liking to squeezing lemon or lime juice onto the majority of her meals —if not a bit more excessively than the average human would. 

“We need to catch up to the others,” James said with a crooked grin while removing the hay sitting in the corner of his mouth. Krolia tenderly grasped the glass handed to her and guided the short black straw to her lips. She was used to knocking back whiskey with James at home, but her partner seemed content taking lazy sips between casual chatter, so she chose to follow his lead.  

“Sorry ‘bout my friends,” James said as he rested his palm against the junction between her shoulder blades and began rubbing circles along the muscle with his thumb. Krolia hummed and leaned closer to the touch. “I didn’t think they would whisk you away like that.” 

“They spoke to me with familiarity despite it being our first time meeting.” 

It wasn’t a complaint. Just an observation.  

“Yeah uhh…” James removed his hand to scratch his stubble. “I talk about you a lot,” he admitted. Krolia shot him a look.  

“They say you talk their ears off about me.” 

“Sorry,” James chuckled nervously. “I keep it vague, I promise. I just can’t stop myself sometimes.” 

Krolia shook her head to stop him from apologizing. She understood. They had both lived very isolating lives up until late. 

“What have you told them?” Krolia asked. 

“That I met the most beautiful woman in existence.” 

Krolia scoffed. 

“Seriously! When they ask me about you, that’s all I say. I tell them that I’m seeing the most beautiful, intelligent, and…” James trailed off as he leaned forward to kiss Krolia. Their lips pressed against each other firmly. James licked a stripe between Krolia’s mouth, persuading it open. Krolia hummed as James lazily traced her teeth with his tongue. He took hold of her chin, angling it so he can deepen the kiss. Krolia felt her head whirl at the contact. James’ kisses were dizzying. It didn’t matter how many times they did it.  

“...and sweetest woman I’ve ever met,” he finished with a soft grin, lips curling upwards and eyes crinkling at the corners in a way Krolia always found handsome. Feeling sheepish, Krolia pressed her forehead against James’ until her heart calmed and the dizziness subsided. 

“You two are just the cutest darn thing I’ve ever seen.”  

Krolia jolted at the voice sat up straight, remembering that she was among humans. A woman in a long blue dress stood before them. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun at the top of her head, braided and neatly kempt, with only the fewest of flyaways disrupting the illusion of perfection. She had piercing blue eyes that matched her dressed, and in her hand was a plastic wand; baby blue and glittering against the backlight of the bar. 

“Hi Kathy,” James said with an easygoing grin. “Have you met my Lia?” 

“Yes, I have! Not too long ago, in fact. Though I’d be shocked if you remembered,” she said while turning to speak to Krolia with a friendly smile. “You were shaking hands with every person in this bar like it was a presidential campaign.  

Krolia nodded and smiled awkwardly at the other, not understanding the metaphor and terrified she would be caught in her ignorance unless she changed the topic. 

“You’re Katherine Williams. Head deputy administrator for the department’s head office located in the center of the town, correct?” 

Kathy let out an impressed whistle. “You remember the important ones, I see.” 

“She remembers _everyone,”_ James corrected. “And _everything._ Lia’s a genius.” 

Krolia kicked James’ ankle aggressively. _What are you doing?!_ She asked with her furrowed brows and deepened scowl. They had agreed to keep a low profile. No adlibbing characteristics that would send them off track of their original alibi. 

James nodded at her, implying that he understood her worries. He proceeded to place his elbow on the bar table, raise a finger to grab the bartender’s attention, and cleared his throat the moment she looked at him.  

“Another Whiskey Sour for the pretty lady,” he requested smoothly. 

Krolia kicked him again, albeit more playfully. He was tactically telling her to lighten up or he’d make her. 

“Don’t get too drunk,” Kathy said with a smile. 

“Yes, fairy godmother,” James drawled. “Anything else we shouldn’t do? Is _have fun_ on that list?” 

Kathy smacked the top of James’ head with her wand, and earned a comical (and cute) _ouch_ from the other. Krolia brought her fingers to her lips to hide her smile. She worried she was the only one who smacked James around when he was being a little stupid or cocky to intentionally get a rise out of the person he was teasing. As it turned out, she was in the majority. 

“I’m _saying;_ try and keep it together until the costume contest.” 

“What does it matter? I never come close to getting first place on that stage.” 

Krolia followed James’ gaze and spotted the elevated floor in the distance. Four wooden steps on opposite sides led to what was a currently vacant area. She wouldn’t have noticed the small space if James and his friend hadn’t brought it up —not with the crowd of people standing around the stage, blocking it with their large bodies and costumes. 

“You might not be able to alone, but with _Lia..._ ” 

Kathy and James both looked at Krolia, who finished her second glass of whiskey.  

“Hm?” She asked, blinking in confusion. She wasn’t sure what they expected her to do. Lift James onto the stage? Surely he saw the set of stairs stationed at each side. 

“That’s true...” James hummed as he rubbed his chin. “I’d love to beat the smugness off Frederick’s face.” 

Krolia spotted Frederick instantly. He was one of the few individuals James had qualms with; which was very rare. From what James had told her, this Frederick person worked at the same department as James for several years before he chose to take a promotion and leave. He had always been a little proud, according to James. Despite his subtle arrogance driving the decisions he made, Frederick was apparently very well-liked amongst peers. 

_“Perhaps you’re just jealous?”_ Krolia had asked in the past, on a particular night when James came home from work grumpy and grumbling about the extra paperwork Frederick assigned their station. Krolia’s comment had set off a ranting session she had never experience in the past. It went well into the night. Even when making love, James barely stuttered when complaining about the other’s work ethic. While Krolia bounced on him, his irritated grumbles went uninterrupted, even when she squeezed his orgasm out of him. Krolia had stared down at him in awe, panting and spent and finding it a little sexy that her usually-put-together James had lost himself to his anger. It was almost unfortunate that he barely took it out on her body, with the exception of dark bruises buried deep into her hips. 

“Did you meet Freddy?” Kathy asked Krolia.  

“Yes. Actually, I meant to tell you,” Krolia said as she turned to James, who was catching up with Krolia and asking for a second glass of whiskey from the bartender. “He was very friendly with me.” 

“I’ll kill him,” James said darkly. Kathy hit his head with her wand as a warning. 

“He was friendly until I told him I was with you.” 

James smiled darkly at Krolia. 

“How dumb was his face after you said this?” 

“I’m not sure if the word dumb does his expression justice.” 

“That’s my girl!” James grinned. He leaned forward to plant a wet kiss on Krolia’s cheek, earning himself a rare flush from her. Although she would never admit it out loud, the scarlet in her cheeks gave away the love she harbored for James’ possessiveness of her. It made her feel a little less crazy for thinking of him as hers as well. 

“What was he dressed as?” James asked. 

“I’m not sure,” Krolia admitted. “It seemed as though he was wearing armor.” 

“Hmm,” James considered as he rubbed his chin. “Then we might have this year’s competition in the bag.” 

_What bag?_ Krolia wondered as she leaned forward to take a sip out of James’ straw. 

“Easy cowgirl, I’ll get you another.” 

Krolia pecked the other’s nose, again forgetting she was among humans until Kathy spoke up. 

“Honestly, you two are perfect together. We all thought you were lying about meeting your soulmate.” 

“Soulmate?” Krolia grinned. 

It was James’ turn to flush. “Don’t embarrass me in front of my girlfriend,” he grumbled. 

Kathy shrugged. “Good luck with the costume contest. I’ll be voting for you Tex.” 

James flashed his friend a handsome smirk and tilted his cowboy hat kindly, the straw in his mouth looking similar to the piece of hay The Man with No Name often sported in the movie, with the exception of James looking more charming.  

Krolia was happy he was hers. 

*** 

“You two… look incredibly sexy, but drunk,” said the firefighter in skin tight short-shorts that were riding up between the thighs. 

“Mostly drunk,” the banana chimed in, his muscles hidden behind the suit with the exception of his arms coming out of the sleeves. 

_Neither are as fit as mine,_ Krolia thought with satisfaction, her head resting on James’ collarbone and a hand lazily rubbing soothing circles along his exposed chest. 

“Do we?” James asked. Both he and Krolia were sitting on the sectional couches lined against the wall furthest from the stage. Krolia and James had their feet propped up on the coffee table in front of them, ankles locked and close to several precariously empty glasses of alcoholic beverages that belonged only to them. James had an arm wrapped around Krolia, his large, calloused hand rubbing the side of her hip in even strokes, not too dissimilar to the way he did post-coitus.  

“Are you signed up for the costume contest?” 

Krolia closed her eyes as James hummed, the deepened vibrations from his vocal chords an interesting sensation that tickled her ear.  

“I am… but I’m honestly content with not moving. Plus, I can’t bring Lia.” They had learned a little after their chat with Katherine that the costume contest was for individual costumes only, which crushed any hope James had at beating Frederick. 

“C’mon Jamie. Kathy said to vote for you, but you need to make it a show.” 

“Can’t show them much more than I already am,” he said while gesturing to his exposed torso. 

“Yes you can,” Krolia corrected, and in her haze, she guided her hand down to caress James below the belt. 

“Fuckin’ eh,” Kevin said between a forced hiss and chuckle. “If you two made one of those tapes, I’d bu— _y— ouch! Fuck_ Robby.” 

Kevin rubbed the arm Robert just punched. Krolia made an unimpressed sound. James wouldn’t have flinched to such a light tap. 

“Get on stage so we can vote for your dumb ass,” Robert scolded. 

“Guess that’s my cue,” James whispered to Krolia. He kissed her hair and guided her off his body as he moved to stand. It took him a moment to collect himself before pushing his drunken ass off the cushions, but once he did, Krolia had a stupendous view of a six-foot four-inched tower of muscle. She wanted to tear the vest off his shoulders in order to observe his back, but James had already moved away from her reach.  

Krolia sighed, relaxed and content watching her lover follow his friends towards the crowd awaiting the annual contest. And to think, a few hours ago, she didn’t want to be here. As James had promised, after the initial introductions, she had been left alone for the most part. Those who didn’t know James well didn’t bother prying about his love life, and those who did know him knew enough to leave her alone. There was an air of respect everyone held around James, and something Krolia was grateful she was able to witness firsthand. Her lover was a soldier. He was strong and capable and well-respected among his peers. Seeing how he was over a head taller than most of the firefighters in the department added to his charm. Krolia had suspected that most human males would look as broad and be as tall as James. Only after consuming different types of media did she learn that was not entirely the case, and seeing it in person helped drive home the fact that her man was a rare sight to behold.  

And something only she could consume in all its glory.  

“Weren’t the two of you supposed to go up together?” 

Krolia glanced over to regard the figure that had taken a seat beside her. It was the fairy godmother.  

“It’s individual costumes,” Krolia explained. 

“Oh, well shit.” Kathy hissed.  

“I noticed you planting a seed of reprisal into the heads of your colleagues,” Krolia said coolly. She attempted to blink some of her dizziness away, but it was too late. She was past the point of buzzed. Even if she went to join James, her standing while drunk would do James no good, let alone herself.  

“When it comes to popularity, your fiancé has it in the bag,” 

_When did we become engaged?_ Krolia wondered. James had a knack for changing what he called Krolia throughout the night. He mostly did it to fuck with his friends, but some titles were starting to stick. And then she flushed, thinking she had erased her history after delving into hours' worth of research about human cultures in relation to mating rituals. Had James seen that? Was he slowly changing his story through the night to appease her secret wishes? 

“However... Freddy does this thing where he rides on the shock factor.” 

“He electrocutes the competition, paralyzing them.” Krolia said with an understanding nod. 

_“NO!”_ Kathy squawked in shock. “He pretends to let others go first out of respect, but it’s a tactic. It’s easier to remember who went last as opposed to first.” 

Krolia nodded, eyes glued to her _fiancé._ And then she noticed something. Frederick walked by James and his group. He was very close. Though he hadn’t approached their group of friends that entire afternoon, the man was acting very buddy-buddy all of a sudden. 

_It’s a ruse,_ Krolia thought. She straightened her posture to observe the other. As suspected, Krolia noticed a shift in Fedrick’s movements. She lost sight of them in the crowd, unsure of what he might have done but certain it affected James. 

“Is that all he does? Go last?” She asked Kathy while standing. 

Kathy joined Krolia, arms outstretched as if unsure if she should help the alien steady herself —wand comically held out as if it could provide genuine magical support. Krolia stood rooted to the ground despite her head swaying, fists clenched and lips forming a stubborn line. Being drunk at home with James was easy. She could teeter and crash into walls no problem on her way to the washroom, not needing to save face in front of her equally intoxicated lover. But in public was different. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself by losing her balance. 

“He uh... This was just a hunch James had," Kathy explained while walking alongside Krolia towards the stage. “But he thinks Freddy might sometimes play a little dirty and sabotage the more gimmicky costumes —that way his own gimmicks outshine the others’.” 

Krolia spotted what she was looking for after several minutes of scanning the floors. Several were stepping and kicking aside a piece of rope, unaware that it belonged the James’ costume. Krolia picked it up, genuinely upset.  

“He wants to play dirty, huh?” 

“What are you planning to do?” 

“James always said, fight fire with fire.” 

Kathy looked at Krolia and laughed. “You two are p—” 

“Look!” Krolia hissed, interrupting the other from calling her relationship with James perfect. She was well aware of that fact. “There he is.” 

Frederick was making his rounds, greeting the competition. Krolia eyed him suspiciously. As firefighters and office workers for the department and headquarters alike went up on the stage to show off their costumes, Frederick moved in his armor between individuals, greeting them but also tinkering with their costumes. Pieces came apart. Accessories went missing. One competitor was convinced not to go up with a simple offer of a free drink. Krolia glowered at the back of his head. She would have to help James steal the show. 

The competition stretched on for a while. The majority of those who got on stage seemed to do so for fun’s sake. Only a few costumes were truly well put-together and eye-catching. Krolia had considered returning the lasso to James during the wait time, but her gut told her to hold on to it.  

“How is the competition judged?” Krolia asked Kathy as James walked near the stairs, the second last to go —last being his adversary.  

“Just cheering. Each person stands on stage, and the crowd determines how much they liked the costume by making noise. The more prevalent the screaming and clapping, the more likely you are to win.” 

“I see,” Krolia said as she observed her partner. James was obviously drunk. Despite being a mountain of a man, he had mixed his drinks. He had also had more than Krolia, which was certainly quite a bit given her high tolerance. Despite his charming lopsided grin, his cheeks were flushed and his posture was looser than she’d like to see. She wanted James to stand tall and win through sheer willpower alone. 

Encouraging cheering started the moment James walked up the stairs. He was laughing as he tilted his cowboy hat towards the crowd, eliciting a handful of whoops and hollering from the crowd. He patted his hip and cocked his eyebrow, realizing that his rope was gone. Krolia eyed him carefully as he did a quick pat on the knife holder resting at the back of his belt, hidden beneath his vest.  

_Still there._  

Krolia had given her blade to James in order to avoid peering eyes and suspicion. Hiding a knife in a skin-tight body suit was next to impossible, so Krolia entrusted her blade to her partner. She didn’t doubt him to take care of it for a moment. Even when intoxicated, James had constantly checked the status of her blade with discreet pats in three minute intervals. 

Krolia observed James stand in the middle of the stage, shushing the audience with lowered palms. 

“I seem to have misplaced my lasso,” he told the crowd. The audience made a disappointed noise, which James had to shush again. “Which means you get to watch the gun show instead,” he said while lifting an arm and flexing. Krolia personally enjoyed the tight bulge of muscle protruding as James clenched his fist and bent his arm. However, some audience members did not seem as enthusiastic as Krolia felt. 

“Is this not something to enjoy?” 

“It is,” Kathy nodded. “Just old. Half the fighters here make it a muscle contest.” 

“James would win,” Krolia stated simply, eyes tracing sculpted abs. She would run her tongue over those tight muscles once they returned home. 

Rather than relaxing his bicep and flexing again, James continued bringing his fist towards his shoulder. Suddenly, James reached behind the back of his head and pulled out something hidden beneath his vest. 

Everyone cheered as James whipped out a revolver and began doing tricks with it. He spun it expertly in his hands. He flipped it in the air and caught it with the other hand while continuing to control it around his fingertips. The audience whooped and cheered as his little gun show came to a stop.  

“And he’s _drunk!”_ someone from the crowd shouted. The gathered colleagues laughed and shouted their approvals. James pretended to blow on the tip of his revolver before stepping off the stage, allowing for the last contender to make their display. 

Frederick walked up in his armour, expression indifferent as he trotted past a cheerful James. He had a small rod in his hands, which extended into a long polearm at what looked like a click of a button. The audience made the appropriate noises as Frederick expertly spun the pole in his hands. Then, without any warning, he brought the blunt end down onto the hardwood floor of the stage. A loud thump reverberated through the bar, and an excited hush fell over the crowd as Frederick’s armor began to change. Krolia would be lying if she said she wasn’t impressed. The armor transformed into something far more elaborate than its previous evolution. Shoulders expanded, the chest piece shifted outward, and to everyone’s excitement, mechanical wings appeared from his back.  

“Ugh. He put _money_ into it this year.” 

Krolia hummed as she observed the crowd cheer. It was amusing to see such a simple feat eliciting a powerful reaction; especially when the armor was only for show. The Blade of Marmora had far more elaborate suits for far less the appreciation.  

The voting happened soon after. The individual in charge took hold of the mic and beckoned each participant to join them on the stage one after the other. The cheering stayed rather even for most, the rare fluctuation occurring only when someone’s costume was rather underwhelming. 

“Going last seems to make a difference,” Krolia noted, confirming what Kathy had mentioned before the competition began. Now that everyone knew which costumes they liked the most, they were holding back their applause. “I might have to use that to help James win.” 

“Tell me how to help,” Kathy insisted. Krolia nodded and explained her plan.  

*** 

James didn’t expect to win. He was hoping to use his lasso for a few tricks; maybe throw it at his banana friend and get a good laugh from the audience, but apparently, he had misplaced it sometime before the competition. Though he wanted to beat the smugness off Frederick’s face, he begrudgingly admitted that this year’s costume was also a winner. Although James was considered the fire department’s bona fide pinup model, he would be surprised if his coworkers’ thirst outweighed their common sense. They might be drunk, but they weren’t blind. Frederick was the winner.  

James scanned the crowd, trying to spot Krolia. She wasn’t hard to miss. During the competition, Krolia’s head stood out over the majority of his colleagues, yellow tinted eyes glowing with affection every time they met James’ loving gaze. 

“Next is our sexy cowboy!” 

James tried to find Krolia now. He wanted to give her an apologetic shrug in conjunction with an easy-going grin, but was unable to find her. 

_Probably peeing,_ he thought as he blinked through his alcohol-induced dizziness. It was less fun being drunk without Krolia to lean on and kiss sloppily. The tang of her salty foreign skin mixed well with the tequila resting on his tongue. James walked onto the stage thinking about his alien lover, wondering if he could convince her to have a wedding on Halloween the following year. 

Today was fun. The most fun he had in years. He was able to scratch the itch that had settled under his skin since the moment he met Krolia. He was able to _be with her._ He was able to hold her hand and kiss her in public without either of them worrying about the planet going to shit at the revelation of her species. He was able to introduce her to his friends and share stories in a fun environment. And he could tell Krolia loved it too. Her tension dissipated the moment she realized no one was questioning her Galran race, but rather appreciating her strength and beauty. It helped that James asked them not to bombard her with questions and leave her be. It allowed her to relax and be herself, and as a result, she was able to talk easily with the others.  

James jolted when the cheering for him began, snapping his attention away from his thoughts. It was loud. Louder than any of the previous. For a moment, James gave himself the small hope that he might actually win the stupid contest this year. He hoped there would be something he could brag about at work. Maybe even have Krolia praise him and congratulate him that night in the privacy of their home. 

James walked off the stage with a dopey grin, praying no one could read his thoughts. He continued scanning the crowd, unable to find his partner. When Frederick went on, he momentarily tore his gaze from the audience to look at the other. Frederick had done James a lot of bad in their time together. James was stupidly open and trusting with everyone, and Frederick ended up being the type to take everything from others while giving nothing in return. Though he had never openly talked about it, many in the department knew Frederick had moseyed his way into a promotion that rightfully belonged to him.  

But James didn’t mind. He had been upset at first, of course. Who wouldn’t? But he realized that he was among friends after the other’s departure. He was relaxed, even in tense moments, with Frederick gone. The reoccurring theme every time the topic of Frederick came up was _good riddance._ So when the cheering for Frederick surpassed that of his own, James wasn’t upset. Sure, it would have been nice to win; a humble victory in the face of arrogance, but he reminded himself that he didn’t work with the other anymore, so who cares if he lost. 

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a winn—” 

“Wait! You forgot someone!” 

The audience made the appropriate noises; gasps and oohs, as Kathy ran up on stage. 

“Katherine, please. You’re the ideal fairy godmother, but even you can admit that Freddy’s suit was beyond words.” 

“I’m not talking about me!” 

Just then, Krolia walked on stage, a little stiff in posture but eyes burning with confidence. 

“Krolia?” James whispered to himself, perking at the sight of his love. 

“James dropped this before his act,” Krolia explained to the crowd. Everyone, including the MC, were listening intently. Krolia held out the rope in front of her, the thick straw coiled around each other in a wide circle, creating a window towards her cleavage. 

“It would be a shame if he never got a use out of it.” 

*** 

Krolia couldn’t believe what she was doing. To stand on a stage in front of a crowd humans; intelligent and highly observant ones, to say the least…  

The things she would do in the name of love. 

After declaring a gentle shout out to her lover in front of all his friends and coworkers, Krolia unwound the lasso and snapped it taught like a whip. Although it didn’t make a noise, a few in the crowd gasped or hissed audibly. Krolia let one end fall to the floor while lifting the other. She began spinning the rope with expert grace, the large loop at the end of the lasso staying surprisingly centered as she worked the rope around it. Krolia then lifted her arm, pulling the rope along with it, and with a flick of her wrist, began spinning the lasso around her head like she had seen in movies so many times in the past. 

The crowd began cheering for her. Krolia couldn’t tell if it was as loud as the cheering for James, but it was something. She just needed to amp it up.  

The question was how. 

“That’s my girl!” came a voice from the distance. Krolia perked at the sound. She spotted James instantly, which was easy to do in the crowd of averaged-height humans. Krolia acted instantly. She was supposed to rattle the crowd. If they had any chance of winning this contest, she needed to act brash and pander to the audience.  

Since the audience’s eyes were on them that entire night, then that was what she would deliver on stage. 

_I need to give them_ us. 

Krolia snapped her lasso forward without a moment’s hesitation. She snatched the hat right off James’ head and whipped it back in quick succession, earning herself impressed cheers from the crowd as the hat fell in front of her feet. Krolia bent down to pick it up and placed it on her head. Several whistled between their fingers as Krolia winked at James. She picked up the lasso and began twirling it above her head again, this time going for gold. Krolia snapped it forward at the crowd of contestants at the side of the stage, and pulled the rope taught as the loop fell perfectly over James’ head and around his chest, like a horseshoe hitting the game-winning stake. The crowd went wild as Krolia pulled James towards him. Her lover came to her with very little resistance, though he did pretend to fight her tugging for a moment, adding to the exertainment. 

Krolia readied her stance and pulled at the lasso with vigor. James came stumbling forward, eyes wide with confusion. Krolia mouthed an apology, and whispered _trust me_ into the shell of his ear as she loosened the loop that was pressing his arms against his torso. She let the loop fall right onto his crotch while stepping aside for the crowd, and tightened the rope again. James jumped at the sensation and cried out in shock. The crowd whooped in approval. Krolia tried to ignore the fact that there was over forty pairs of eyes on her while she dragged a hand along James’ chest.  

“What’re you tryna do, hun?” James whispered, puzzled as Krolia dragged her hand under the right shoulder of his vest and tugged it over, silently prompting him to guide his arm through the sleeve. James complied, and they repeated the action with the other arm. James’ vest fell onto the floor, and the audience hooted and hollered at the sight. 

“Alright now, calm down!” he snapped at his friends. “This ain’t a strip show!” 

“Strip, strip, strip!” they chanted in response. 

“Sorry again,” Krolia whispered. James didn’t have time to ask why as Krolia’s hand unfastened the knot secured tightly around his waist. James jolted as the act caused the rope to rub against his crotch, and Krolia wanted to explain her plan so badly given her lover’s puzzled expression.  

Krolia let the loop fall to his ankles while taking five slow steps away from him, the other end of the lasso tight in her grasp. _He’ll understand once it_ _’_ _s over._ _Just make this quick,_ she thought.  

And she did. 

Nobody —not even James— expected what happened next. Krolia yanked at the lasso with the speed and vigor of an Amazonian woman. She looked it too. With her long limbs, muscular thighs and biceps bulging against the skin-tight black suit, and a height of over six feet, Krolia knocked James off his feet like the force of a wave crashing down on a single piece of seaweed.  

The audience lost it as James hit the wooden floor of the stage with a loud _thump_ _._ He wasn’t given time to recover as Krolia jumped onto him. She wrapped the lasso around his ankles a second time in order to secure his feet together before shoving the rope through his legs and around his left thigh. She circled back between the legs and wrapped around his right thigh, ensuring that she was pressuring the underside of his crotch and adding lift to his bulge.  

Krolia ignored the audience screaming and chanting her name. _Li-a, Li-a, Li-a!_ They shouted in unison, stamping their feet and lifting their glasses as Krolia put on a display hogtying their beloved colleague. She didn’t have much of a plan besides showing off the parts of his body she personally found attractive. After flipped James onto his side, she circled the thick rope below his pectorals, followed by right over it —attractively displaying the tight muscle hidden beneath soft flesh. She looped the lasso in front of an arm —right below his bicep and around, guiding it behind his back and mirroring the sight with the other arm. When Krolia returned the rope to the back, she tied a knot in the middle between his shoulder blades and brought the lasso down to his wrists. Krolia forced James onto his stomach with a foot, and made haste securing his hands together, a bead of sweat running down her temple as she did. She finished the spectacle by forcing James to bend his legs back. Krolia brought the rope that tied his wrists together down to his ankles, and looped the lasso around until there was very little rope left. The knot she tied was a secure one —the kind she used on plenty of enemies in the past, rendering them immobile.  

Krolia wiped her brow and stood up. She pulled the collar of her suit up, feeling it slipping down after all that movement, and after gathering herself, placed the cowboy hat back onto James’ head. The roar that erupted from the crowd was something neither of them had ever experienced before. 

*** 

“You’re amazing.” 

Krolia tilted her head back as teeth lightly grazed her throat. 

“I love you.” 

She whined as strong hands groped her ass with vigor. 

“When did you learn to _do that?”_  

Krolia hissed rather than responding. James was about to strip her in the alleyway behind the bar and she barely had the self-control to stop him. She caught his wrist right as he unzipped her suit down to her stomach, her breasts falling out at the release of tension.  

“Not here James,” she managed to hiss as the other moved his mouth to suck one of her tits while his large palm squeezed the other. “Someone will see.” 

As if on cue, the sound of voices approaching the couple became apparent. Despite the yearning causing heat to course through her skin, Krolia gently pushed James away and hastily pulled her suit back over her breasts. She tugged the zipper over her ribs, and tried to ignore James’ burning gaze as she turned away from the entrance of the alleyway right as a handful of humans walked by with their cigarettes.  

James caged Krolia against the brick walls, lips hungrily tasting the crook of her neck. Krolia should have known hogtying her lover would turn him on; especially since he was intoxicated. James had always been extremely touchy under the influence, to the point that it was difficult for either of them to restrain him when he had sex on the mind. And though Krolia would love to let him have his way with her —especially given that she was feeling the same rush of arousal from what she had done earlier— they were in public. They were already running the risk of someone being suspicious that there was a purple lady with glowing eyes, accented canines, and animalistic ears running around the town. What they needed to do was lay low and sober up. 

“I think we should call it a night,” Krolia admitted.  

“Aw... but I only got to smile smugly at Freddy twice.” 

“Don’t be petty with your win,” Krolia warned him.  

“It’s _your_ win. Kevin and Robby won’t stop reminding me that you stole the title from Frederick this year, not me.” 

“Are you upset?” 

“Absolutely not. I’m tryna figure what pretty purple thing you can be next year to keep your title.” 

Krolia laughed. The absurd comment settled on her heart, warm and inviting. If James wanted them to do this again next year, they probably would. And she was looking forward to it. She’d like to think she had created some friends that day, even if only temporarily.  

“Let’s walk,” Krolia said, heart heavy at the thought of going back into hiding once the day ended. 

James grabbed her hand, and the two proceeded to leave the vicinity. Even though the sun had set, it was still early in the evening. Children were running around in costume, excited chatter filling the crisp night air with a lively buzz.  

“Are you not cold?” Krolia asked after a moment. James had reclaimed his vest, but the article of clothing did very little to retain heat. 

“Had some more whiskey before we left,” he admitted. “’m all warm inside.” 

Krolia bumped into him teasingly, and the two enjoyed a moment of comfortable silence as they attempted to sober up. Krolia and James turned out of the town into a humble neighbourhood. The happy shrieks of _Trick or Treat!_ reverberated through the night sky. Parents walked along the sidewalks at a lazy pace, eyes on their children as they dashed frantically from door to door.  

“If we had kids, you’d be able to take them Trick or Treating,” James mentioned in passing. Krolia flushed; mainly because was thinking the same thing. It would be a human celebration she would be able to take part in without putting anyone in danger. “And if they were born near the end of October, we could have Halloween themed birthday parties with costumes...” 

“Our first obstacle is having a child,” Krolia mentioned. Her face was burning as she said this. She had never admitted something so intimate out loud, even when it had been pestering her thoughts for months. Before landing on Earth, having a child was never a worry of hers. But after they found Blue —after she realized that she had fallen in love with a sweet, loving man who would sacrifice anything for her health and happiness, Krolia found her priorities changing; and with that, new fears became apparent. _What if we’re not compatible?_  

“We’ll figure it out,” James said with a carefree smile. Krolia sighed, immediately comforted by the other’s nonchalance. If James wasn’t worried about it, she shouldn’t be either. The universe had performed crazier miracles.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy (belated) Halloween. Thank you so much [Ana](https://twitter.com/hggkrri) for the beautiful art. My knees turned to jelly when you showed me the finished product. I don't deserve such a talented friend. (And thanks for your patience. Don't ask me why this fic ended up being over 12k words).
> 
> THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR READING!
> 
> find me on twitter @kroligane


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